Matiur Rahman (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Matiur Rahman is the editor of Daily Prothom Alo
, the largest circulated Bangla language daily in Bangladesh
. He is the recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award
for journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
and then Bangladesh. He went on to earn his post graduate degree in Statistics from University of Dhaka
in 1967. He became a Marxist and for twenty-one years edited Dhaka’s socialist weekly Ekota. When communism’s failures gave him second thought, he withdrew from leftist politics to concentrate on journalism.
Prothom Alo naturally covered the alarming rise of acid throwing in Bangladesh. But in 2000 a heartrending case involving a fifteen-year-old girl riveted Rahman’s attention. He determined to harness the resources of his newspaper to fight the scourge.
In prominent daily appeals, Rahman now declared war on acid throwers and called upon his readers to contribute to the Prothom Alo Aid Fund for acid victims. With scarred women at his side, he solicited donations at rallies and press conferences and called upon celebrities and volunteers to carry the appeal throughout the country. People from all walks of life and even Bangladeshis abroad became donors. Rahman acknowledged each small gift in the newspaper and steered help directly to the victims: money for burn treatments, plastic surgery, legal fees, and living expenses plus new dwellings for some and income-generating assets such as milking cows, sewing machines, cultivable lands, and shops for others. At the same time, Prothom Alo pressured the government to strengthen laws against acid attacks and the reckless sale of dangerous chemicals.
The response to Rahman’s appeal reassured him that "the society is not sleeping." By June 2005, some 8.2 million taka had been coursed to over one hundred victims. Moreover, in 2002 the country’s Acid Crimes Prevention Act and Acid Control Act stiffened penalties for acid throwers and tightened licensing requirements for acid sales.
In electing Matiur Rahman to receive the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, the board of trustees recognizes his wielding the power of the press to crusade against acid throwing and to stir Bangladeshis to help its many victims.
Prothom Alo
Prothom Alo is a major daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language.-History:Prothom Alo was founded on 4 November 1998. As at January 2009, it had an average circulation of 435,000...
, the largest circulated Bangla language daily in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He is the recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
Early life
Rahman was born in 1940 and grew up in the era of decolonization and fervent nationalism that gave birth to East PakistanEast Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
and then Bangladesh. He went on to earn his post graduate degree in Statistics from University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
in 1967. He became a Marxist and for twenty-one years edited Dhaka’s socialist weekly Ekota. When communism’s failures gave him second thought, he withdrew from leftist politics to concentrate on journalism.
Journalism career
In 1998 he founded Prothom Alo, or First Light, a daily newspaper. Rahman established Prothom Alo’s credibility by exposing the missteps of both the government and its foes and by aggressively covering corruption, terrorism and human rights violations. The newspaper’s constructive advocacy and Rahman’s own unsparing editorials attracted legions of readers. Today it reaches five million of them.Prothom Alo naturally covered the alarming rise of acid throwing in Bangladesh. But in 2000 a heartrending case involving a fifteen-year-old girl riveted Rahman’s attention. He determined to harness the resources of his newspaper to fight the scourge.
In prominent daily appeals, Rahman now declared war on acid throwers and called upon his readers to contribute to the Prothom Alo Aid Fund for acid victims. With scarred women at his side, he solicited donations at rallies and press conferences and called upon celebrities and volunteers to carry the appeal throughout the country. People from all walks of life and even Bangladeshis abroad became donors. Rahman acknowledged each small gift in the newspaper and steered help directly to the victims: money for burn treatments, plastic surgery, legal fees, and living expenses plus new dwellings for some and income-generating assets such as milking cows, sewing machines, cultivable lands, and shops for others. At the same time, Prothom Alo pressured the government to strengthen laws against acid attacks and the reckless sale of dangerous chemicals.
The response to Rahman’s appeal reassured him that "the society is not sleeping." By June 2005, some 8.2 million taka had been coursed to over one hundred victims. Moreover, in 2002 the country’s Acid Crimes Prevention Act and Acid Control Act stiffened penalties for acid throwers and tightened licensing requirements for acid sales.
In electing Matiur Rahman to receive the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, the board of trustees recognizes his wielding the power of the press to crusade against acid throwing and to stir Bangladeshis to help its many victims.